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What Crispin brings to the party . . .
Because he has led successful bands onstage, on television, and in the recording studio, Crispin Cioe brings an unparalled level of professionalism and creativity to the Cracked Ice experience. .
In 2002, Crispin served as MD (Musical Director) of the acclaimed off-Broadway play True Love by Charles Mee, leading a band onstage with his own compositions and arrangements--for which he received a Drama Desk Award nomination. Crispin has MD’d television shows (the comedy series Buster’s Happy Hour on VH-1 and the James Beard Awards Show on the Food Telvision Network.) Crispin has scored and arranged for film (The Real Blonde; Burnzy’s Last Call). As a musician, he has studied with the masters -- playing sax many times under the baton of Paul Shaffer on The David Letterman Show; writing, arranging, and performing with Buster Poindexter; and playing live and recording with a pantheon of musical heavies that includes Ray Charles, Tom Waits, James Brown, the Rolling Stones, and many more. In the past year, Crispin has performed/recorded with: Howard Tate (whose LP “Rediscovered” is nominated for a Grammy), Chic (including a concert at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Fest in Japan), the Mark Twain Awards at the Kennedy Center for broadcast on PBS (honoring Lily Tomlin, performing with GE Smith and Dolly Parton), and Clarence Clemons (as a member of the Uptown Horns on his “Temple of Soul” LP, which includes a live version of “Raise Your Hand” featuring Bruce Springsteen on vocals and guitar.)
This kind of musical background coupled with Crispin’s superb ability to lead a band of his musical peers makes all the difference when Cracked Ice performs. From an elegant cocktail hour jazz trio that swings with compete discretion . . . to a dance band that doesn’t just play the hits but makes the music really happen, Cracked Ice is about achieving a peak musical experience for your party. With Cracked Ice, it’s the difference between live music and music that really comes alive.
Crispin has performed with the following artists:
The Rolling Stones (Steel Wheels Tour & IMAX film)
Marc Antony
Nellie Furtado
Wyclef Jean
James Brown (sax solo on "Living in America")
Aretha Franklin
Joe Cocker ("Unchain My Heart")
R.E.M.
Buster Poindexter ("Hot, Hot, Hot")
Debbie Harry ("French Kissin'")
J. Geils Band (“Freezeframe”, etc.)
Robert Plant
Shelby Lynne
Lou Reed
B-52's ("Love Shack")
RuPaul
Tom Waits ("Raindogs" LP)
Keith Richards ("Main Offender" LP)
Ohio Players
Albert Collins ("Cold Snap" and "Iceman" LPs)
Marshall Crenshaw
B.B. King
Ray Charles
Iggy Pop
Joan Osborne
Dave’s True Story
Joan Jett
and many more . . .
Crispin was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Chicago, New York, and the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe. He played in rock and funk bands after attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, most notably the renowned midwestern soul group, Radio King & His Court of Rhythm. He is married to Krista Bradford, who heads The Good Search, an executive search and human capital intelligence firm. Together, they have a 14-year old daughter Katie who has taken a liking to the music of James Brown and Dean Martin. They live in Westport, Connecticut with their corgi-mix Norton, and their two cats Mortimer and Gracie.
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